Mathematics, M.A.T. (9-12 Certification)

What will I study?

The Master of Arts in Secondary Mathematics Education program will prepare you to
become a certified high school mathematics teacher. Our dedicated faculty prepare
our graduates to become highly qualified teachers with strong content knowledge and
instructional skills.

This degree is a collaboration between the College of Education and the College of
Arts and Science that will increase your mathematics content knowledge by taking graduate
level math courses as well as education courses.

You will participate in two internships during the program - Internship A is a 10-hour
a week internship and Internship B is full-time student teaching - that will prepare
you to step into high school classrooms as an effective teacher. After your first
year, you will be engaged in education courses and internships with a small cohort
of other teacher candidates. Our program prepares you to teach national and state
standards through engaging and cutting edge inquiry pedagogy that has been shown to
increase student learning.

What kinds of work will I be able to do?

With a 100 percent employment rate, the graduates of the program are sought after
for high school mathematics teaching positions both locally and throughout the nation.

Will I be able to specialize?

By completing our program and passing the required state Praxis II exams, you can
become certified in high school mathematics; you can also add on middle level certification
by taking one additional middle level curriculum course.

Typical Course Work

Mathematics Content CoursesYour program of study will include at least one course in geometry (either MATH 531
or 736-I), algebraic structures (MATH 701-I), real analysis (MATH 703-I), statistics
(STAT 509 or STAT 515-516), and number theory (MATH 780-I). If you have already taken
equivalent courses, then appropriate substitutions will be made.

You will also need to take upper division courses in linear algebra (MATH 526 or 544)
and discrete mathematics (MATH 574). Normally theses two courses are taken prior to
full admission to the program.

Education CoursesYou will take 18 hours of instructional courses, such as mathematics methods, technology
integration, reading in the content area, and assessment to prepare you to teach through
innovative methods and earn South Carolina certification for teaching high school
mathematics.

InternshipsYou will take 15 hours of internship courses that allow you to learn through authentic
classroom placements. You will work with experienced coaching teachers in local schools
to learn to best teach mathematics and improve student learning.

For additional information about curriculum or program requirements, please visit
the academic bulletin.

What is the application process like?

As long as you have the equivalent of an undergraduate degree in mathematics as approved
by the Department of Mathematics, you can apply to this program.

We offer a rolling admission to the MAT Mathematics program and encourage applicants
interested in making a difference through teaching to apply at any time.

For More Information

Earn Additional Credits

You may participate in one of these programs (Senior Privilege or Accelerated), but
not both:

Senior PrivilegeIf you are a senior with 90 hours of undergraduate course work and a 3.0 GPA overall,
you may qualify to take up to 6 hours of graduate credit during your final semester.

Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's ProgramIf you are a senior with 90 hours of undergraduate course work and a 3.4 GPA in your
major area, you may qualify to take up to 12 hours of graduate credit during your
final semester. Learn more [pdf].